Indie Film Has Saved the Romantic Comedy — These 11 Movies Prove Why

In 2009, Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds propelled “The Proposal” to nearly $165 million at the U.S. box office. The summer before, Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher spun a profit with “What Happens in Vegas,” which earned $80 million on a $30 million budget. In 1998, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan amassed $115 million for “You’ve Got Mail,” while Julia Roberts and Richard Gere pulled in $152 million for “Runaway Bride” a year later.

READ MORE: 11 Great Movies That Prove Indie Film Saved the Romantic Comedy

All of this is to say that there was once a time when the romantic-comedy genre was a slam dunk when it came to turning a profit at the box office. But in the age of superhero movies and big-budget tentpoles, there’s hardly room for rom-coms. And yet the genre never really died, it just went indie.

The last several years have made one thing very clear: Indie film is the savior of the rom-com. Click through the gallery for 11 great films that prove why.

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